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MC Smithsonian Faculty Fellowships Application Form

Please read the Application Checklist below to ensure that each step of the application is correctly completed. Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2024.

Communicate with your department chair as soon as possible informing them that you are interested in applying for a fellowship. With your chair, you will determine whether there are any obstacles or objections to your receiving 3 alternate-ESH in the spring and then again in the fall semester. Remember: Your work schedule must be structured so that you can arrive on time for all meetings.

Do plan ahead! Obtaining the signatures of your chair and dean will take time. Help us to be sure we get your application on time. As soon as you have sent your proposal on to your chair, please take a moment to e-mail to PPHI Director, Jamie Gillan at Jamie.Gillan@montgomerycollege.edu  to let her know it has been submitted.

The proposal describes your interest in applying for the Fellowship and lays out your vision to implement the theme in one of your courses. (Keep in mind we expect that your ideas will develop and may change as a result of the seminar experience.) The proposal should run about 500-600 words; do not exceed the 600 words. You are to use Times New Roman, 12 point.

Prepare a Cover Page for Your Application.

This page will include:

  • your name and job title, including your department and campus and a separate line for your signature and date;
  • the title of your Fellowship proposal and word count;
  • the name of your Department Chair and a separate line for their signature and date;
  • the name of your Dean and a separate line for their signature and date.

Following the proposal, on separate paper, please make a list of your activities at Montgomery College. This list will include, for example: typical courses taught; recent professional development activities, including CTL/CPOD courses; volunteer work with students; positions you hold in your department, discipline or college; leadership positions in professional organizations and any other additional items you would like to share. (This list will not be part of the word count for your proposal.)

Submit this application package, which includes the following documents:

  1. Cover sheet with your signature, and those of your Dean and Chair,
  2. Proposal, 
  3. Listed activities, 
  4. If you are a Part-time faculty member, please include a recommendation from your Chair.

Be sure to allow ample time to gather needed signatures. The completed package (application and all three signatures) must be submitted by Monday, October 21, 2024 (5 p.m. E.S.T.). This is firm.

  • Submit cover page, proposal and activities statement to Chair for approval
  • Follow-up to see that Chair submits to Dean
  • Collect signature and brief email statement from Chair and Dean stating their approval
  • Get letter of recommendation from Chair (PT faculty only) 
  • Cover sheet with all signatures
  • Brief email statement of support from Chair and Dean
  • Proposal
  • Activities list
  • Chair recommendation if PT faculty
Some Ideas for How You Can Use This Year's Theme in YOUR Classroom: (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

Anthropology - Whose bones are these? Who do they belong to? Who gets to tell the story? How can the museum act as a catalyst for positive change?

Archaeology - What is the ethical responsibility of an archaeologist? Who has the right to share artifacts and objects discovered through archaeological dig sites? What intentional efforts go into the public display of an artifact today?

Architecture - How would we design a museum for the future to engage visitors in ways that challenge old narratives?

Art - Who is represented? Who is missing? Who curates the story? How do we ensure representation?

Biology - How do we make topics like climate change, biodiversity and extinction accessible to our students? How do museums help tell the story of these profound challenges?

Chemistry - How do changes in ocean chemistry impact earth’s health? What role does chemistry play in the preservation and exhibition of objects?

Communication - How do curators and museum educators communicate complex messages to broad audiences? How do missions of inclusivity and accessibility shape museum-based education?

Criminal Justice - How does the museum help us understand the strengths and weaknesses of our criminal justice system in ways that promote helpful change?

Economics and Business, Math - What is the economic toll of challenges such as climate change, the pandemic, migration, social unrest, and global travel on both the museum world and society? How can the museum serve as a catalyst for conversation and change?

Education - How do we make museums accessible to all learners? How do museums develop learning tools that extend beyond the walls of the building and across age groups?

ELAP - Where do I fit? Where is my story? What is home? How can the museum serve as a model to help students develop their own historical narratives?

English-Reading - What tools do museums use to communicate their messages? In what ways is an exhibit an argument? Can a single object on display be the centerpiece of a debatable issue?
 
Gender Studies - Whose voices are prioritized, minimized, or absent in museum spaces? Do we see LGBTQIA+ stories, histories, and artifacts in museum exhibits?

History - How do we correct the narrative to include stories that have gone untold, and provide a guide for being sure all are included moving forward? How is the Smithsonian working with communities to tell their stories?

Interior Design - What will tomorrow's museums and exhibits look like? What must they do to serve diverse audiences and prompt engagement?

Journalism, Media Arts and Technology - How does the museum bring use media to extend their reach? How do they best share inclusive stories/sensitive topics that engage audiences using Smithsonian resources?

Music, Performing Arts - What is the responsibility of the arts in disseminating knowledge around scientific discovery, climate change, and other complex challenges facing our world? How are songs, movies, performances, and more contributing to meaningful calls to social change?

Nutrition and Food - How do human behaviors and food choices play a role in challenges like climate change, disease transmission, migration, and evolution?

Philosophy - What are the ethical challenges museums face today? Can the museum provide a guide to navigate?

Photography - Why are images important? How do museums use images to tell stories and encourage further conversation?

Psychology - How do museums allow us to identify with our own histories? How do they encourage us to engage in collaborative conversation and change in ways that benefit all?

Sociology - How can exhibits be used to help us understand the development, organization, and functioning of social groups? How can exhibits be used to generate conversations and to enhance understanding?

World Languages - How do visitors find themselves in the Smithsonian? How do the museums encourage all visitors to feel welcomed? How are diverse languages and cultures addressed in a distinctly American context, such as a Smithsonian Museum?

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